A morning at Aston Pottery

August 30, 2013

I’ve been trying to get to Aston Pottery this summer and I’m actually happy it took till late summer to got there, (even if it’s only the next village over, lol). My friend and neighbour Gill and I planned a lovely catch-up over tea and a walk round the gardens.

I’ve been in love with the quirky, hand-stencilled pottery made here for several years now, and each time I come here there are new patterns and products on offer.

The ones I’m in love with are the birds. I’ve got several of these bird tea cups and other pieces but really love this blue agapanthus pattern.

After tea, Gill and I walked out into the gardens. There is a rare black bumblebee in England and it has been spotted on the bee balm and the salvia “lipstick”. So Gill and I made it a mission to find him in the flowers.

Nope, this isn’t the black bumblebee, but the echinacea was full of bees and butterflies. Isn’t it wonderful to see bees on flowers and isn’t it wonderful when people do the best they can for the bees?

I love autumnal colours and all these yellows were so beautiful against the sky.

Sedums are fantastic this time of year as well. This Autumn joy was really healthy and big, but the sedum “Purple Emperor” was so full of bees and butterflies the flower heads were practically bending over. (Must remember this when I get back to my Vancouver garden)

Here’s another autumnal plant I love: asters. Here’s they are called Michaelmas daisies. Mine in Vancouver always succumb to some sort of something. Last year I think it was a caterpillar. Wish I could grow them better.

Gill and I kept looking at each other and saying things like, “If only we could just pick five or so stems to take home…” 🙂 But we had the best chat and catch-up, the loveliest tea and a sweet treat, we both bought a sweetie to take home for our sweeties (an eccles cake for Robbie, a piece of Eaton Mess cake for Billy), and had a lovely morning. (Even if we had to leave all the flowers there.) 🙂

In the end we did see several black bumblebees, but I couldn’t get a clear photo. 🙁 Sorry.

I’m so glad people are aware of bees these days and plant for them, aren’t you? I’ve been procrastinating trimming the privet hedge because it’s completely buzzing and the bees have so very little left of the flowers.

I love blue and white pottery! And I love flowers, birds, bees, critters on pottery too–so this was a lovely jaunt; and daisies, asters, echinacea–happy happy flowers!! Of course bees make me do a happy dance too, society has been so stupid with these lovely little insects and now we’re finally pulling our head out of…well, wherever to try and do something to save the bees. Thank you for such a wonderful day 🙂